Seattle: Half-Day Wildlife and Whale Watching Cruise
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Seattle, USA
- 3 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
You don’t have to venture into the San Juan Islands to see whales in their natural habitat—with this tour, you can board a whale-watching cruise right in downtown Seattle. Spend several hours onboard, looking for whales and learning about the area’s ecosystem from an expert naturalist. Food and beverages are available for purchase onboard.
- Take a whale-watching cruise straight from downtown's Pier 69
- Learn about whales from an onboard naturalist
- Food and drink available for purchase onboard
- Choose from two departure times to fit your schedule
What's Included
- Exhilarating 3 to 5 hour whale watching tour with an expert onboard naturalist
- Includes all applicable taxes and surcharges
- Food and Beverage for purchase
- Gratuities appreciated but not mandatory
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 2701 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Please arrive at the FRS Clipper Terminal, located on Seattle's waterfront at Pier 69, 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure time.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Ticket Redemption Point
2701 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Itinerary
Pike Place Market (Pass By)
Space Needle (Pass By)
1
Salish Sea
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Seattle Aquarium (Pass By)
Seattle Waterfront (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
It is a most relaxing way to spend an afternoon looking for whales and wild life. The boat is spacious, clean and comfortable. The crew is very knowledgeable and shares their experiences. We highly recommend this trip.
Reviews
4.3
based on 399 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Fun, adventurous tour with highly trained and professional staff including a wildlife tour guide that makes the tour amazing. Very impressed by the vessel itself for speed, stability and captains ability to maneuver it precisely.
What a great experience! Great crew! Crew is very knowledgeable and communicative to the passengers.
We had a great experience and got to see several orcas. The boat was clean and comfortable. The rain held off until we got back.
Amazing trip - saw a pod of Orca as well as sea lions and seals! The crew and Zach, our naturalist, were very nice and knowledgeable! We had a wonderful trip and would definitely recommend the tour!
Very friendly crew, fantastic and quite new vessel, we were lucky to see a group of Orcas but it is not given that you see anything. They take pictures from the animals and share it with you for free after the trip. We enjoyed it a lot and can highly recommend it.
We travelled for about 150 miles. They didn't give up and went the extra mile to bring us to the orcas. The naturalist on board was extremely knowledgeable. Overall a great experience, the boat was also very clean and large.
Super fun! Saw Orcas and they were awesome. Great tour of the sound as well. Would definitely do it again!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We appreciate your positive feedback, Craig! Can't wait to have you join us again soon!
Chances of seeing whales not very likely:( no one’s fault. clean nice boat, great crew!!!! Beautiful scenery.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We appreciate your review, Gayle! We understand that whale sightings can vary, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
It’s very relaxing and exciting all in one. The experts are very knowledgeable and love sharing information about the area and the type of whales and other sea mammals being viewed. Be mindful that you may not get to see the whales as expected due to season, time, or range but its worth every second.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We appreciate your feedback, Clinton, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure!
The boat ride and scenery alone are wonderful. We were able to see sea lions, seals and all 3 gray whales that migrate to the area! Ali the guide was very informative and I learned so many interesting facts about the local wildlife. I would absolutely recommend this trip for a quick half day activity. I’m sure there are others that go out further and are full day but this excursion was a lot of fun!
The crew was very knowledgeable. The boat was comfortable and kept us informed. We saw (2) grey whales, several sea lions, and a few harbor seals. We would like to see more whales or orca’s, but that’s nature. The crew took VERY good photo’s and the emailed them to us.
Great experience. The boat ride was so smooth. I usually get seasick, but this was not an issue. Drinks and salad I bought on board were good. They send you a link with photos of the wildlife so you can focus on viewing instead of trying to get a good shot.
Amazing! Our guide was great and I was so happy to receive professional photos afterwards since I was too busy watching the whales to take my own. She also knew the names of the orcas we saw and taught us how to identify them. I'm so glad I was able to take this trip! My only issue was parking. We parked in a garage nearby and it closed before we got back and none of the numbers to get the car out work. I'm not from here and didn't know this would be an issue. Otherwise, this is 100% worth it! Just make sure to not use Elliot parking garage.
Trip staff terrific but saw only glimpses of one gray whale which was quite disappointing considering the cost. We saw more seals on the piers of SanFrancisco. But, nature is not predictable.
The complimentary photos of the rare views was appreciated.
The company was great. The boat was comfortable with a diversity of amenities. I would recommend this excursion and take it again
The crew is very nice, but there is no guarantee of you seeing anything. The boat has no sonar to find whales and they rely solely on binoculars to find them or contact with other boats in the water. We did see one grey whale but it was very far away. They took us to a spot where the sea lions hang out and that was it. No orcas no humpbacks. So if you are ok with just a chance of maybe seeing something this is the tour for you! Nice beverages to purchase and you do get a link to view photos the crew took on the excursions.
Truly enjoyable experience - great guides, information and everything! A very informative and relaxing trip!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your kind words, Rose!
Really nice boat. Comfortable, modern, well kept. Knowledgeable crew. Follow up pictures were way better than what we took.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We really appreciate your feedback, Deborah!
Great trip leader with excellent knowledge of the whales. Love the pictures that she shared with everyone on the boat.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We really appreciate your kind words, Marcia!
Although the boat had not departed and they would not allow us to board. Tried to contact Viator got no response.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your feedback, Sonya. We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced and the lack of communication regarding your boarding. If you're able to reach out to us directly at customerservice@clippervacatons.com, we'd be glad to look into your specific booking, clarify what happened, and see what we can do to address it.
This was an amazing experience and so worth the money/time! Not only was it a great boat ride and our crew was fantastic, but we also saw so much wildlife! I would 100% do this tour again if ever coming back to Seattle!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Chelsey! We can't wait to welcome you back to Seattle for another adventure!
It was a nice day out on the water. Clean boat, friendly , knowledgeable staff. We saw a pod of Orcas and some harbor seals. Seeing an orca was on my bucket list, so that was exciting!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you, Susie, for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you got to check seeing orcas off your bucket list!
The crew were great and friendly and vey knowledgeable. This was one of the best tours we have ever done. We saw seals and sea lions and orcas and gray whales. The boat was new and comfortable and cut through the water smoothly.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We truly appreciate your feedback, Paul! We hope to welcome you back on board soon!
We saw so many whales and Ali was an amazing guide. She gave us so much information. I would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review, Meagan!
Excellent trip! Saw seal, grey whale, and killer whale pod. They take pictures for you. Great boat, new, bathrooms, comfortable seats.
Amazing experience, we saw 6 whales and received great professional photos from the sightings. Great boat and education from the naturalist. Highly recommend!
Joining the group is definitely worthy, save lots of time and money. With their high technology cruise, they have better chances of finding the whales or killer whales.there are many Seal too.
We saw at least 7 orcas. The naturalist was was well educated, easy to listen too and very personable. I'd go again! I'd go again for sure!
This was a very well run company. Everything went smoothly. The boat is brand new. The food was good. The photos they provide for free afterwards are also amazing. Highly recommend. We saw a pot of orcas consistently for probably a good hour.
The tour was excellent. We got great opportunities to view wildlife throughout trip. There were some other small craft in the area pursuing and agitating the whales and it was great to see our boat crew doing their best to discourage the illegal behavior. We appreciate how seriously they take their role in protecting these beautiful creatures. The crew was warm and engaging and the entire experience was very well run.
Would definitely recommend!
Member Pricing
From
$147.22
per personWas $154.97(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Seattle: Half-Day Wildlife and Whale Watching Cruise
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